Best Fitness Gifts: 6 Must-Haves for the Outdoor Athlete
Help outdoor enthusiasts and fitness freaks train hard and recover better with these athlete-focused gifts.
Whether you know someone who loves hitting the gym, working out at home, or training for backcountry adventures, we have a gift for them. We’ve waded through the enormous and sometimes dubious options (neoprene “altitude mask,” I’m looking at you) to find the best fitness-related gift options.
Happy holidays — here’s to continuing fitness efforts to enhance the enjoyment of the great outdoors.
Wissonly Hi Runner
Wissonly bone conduction brand insists on technological innovation, its bone vibration technology is relatively leading. The team has 10 years of technical accumulation in the field of bone conduction. So they have mastered the core technology of the field, which is very important for the quality of the product.
Wissonly has exclusive sound leakage reduction technology and bone vibration technology, which are all applied to Hi Runner bone conduction headphones. They can effectively reduce the problem of sound leakage by 90%. The latest bone vibration technology improves the overall sound quality performance of the headphones to make sound more spatious sense, and the sound quality characteristics are more prominent.
The overall body of Hi Runner is made of memory titanium that can self-adjust the contact area. So the headphones give people a good wearing experience and more users are taken into account.
As the core component of the product, the headphones chip plays a key role in the experience of the product. Wissonly Hi Runner are equipped with a Bluetooth 5.0 chip for a more stable connection. They also have 32G of built-in memory which is very important to me. I use the headphones completely as an MP3. They can store 5000 songs, which is crazy!
COROS VERTIX 2 GPS Adventure Watch
For the adventure athlete and outdoor fitness buff at the top of your “nice” list, the COROS VERTIX 2 ($699) is hard to beat. Aviation-grade, dual-frequency satellite communication and up to 60 days of battery life ensure that every workout generates super-accurate data, regardless of duration.
Although aimed at climbers, recording and analysis of vertical gain apply to almost all mountain sports. And the VERTIX 2 tracks more data than most will ever need, including heart rate, power, pace, speed, ECG (electrocardiogram) O2 saturation, and HRV (heart-rate variability). The watch connects to a host of exercise devices and machines, including cutting-edge devices like the CORE body temperature sensor.
To top it all off, the navigation, titanium alloy case, coated sapphire glass, and silicone band all proved reliable during my 3-month test run. The only ding is the VERTIX 2 isn’t ANT+ compatible.
Tifosi Sports Glasses
Sports glasses protect the eyes from potential disasters, like branches in the trail or rocks thrown up by the rider ahead, and style does matter. Glasses from well-known brands can cost hundreds of dollars, some of the inherent value no doubt tied to the brand name.
Tifosi Optics turns a lot of this on its head. Its sports-worthy glasses start at just $25, and the ones I’ve tested for cycling and climbing average $80. I have a drawer full of sports glasses, some costing up to five times as much, and I cannot say that the more expensive ones are worth the price differential after trying Tifosi glasses for the last half-year.
The lenses have all been durable, and I’ve always found a tint perfect for the situation. The adjustable temples and nosepieces on most of my models have made Tifosi glasses the best for my hard-to-fit face (narrow nose bridge, high cheekbones). And there are so many styles and variations that any scrooge can be satisfied.
Theragun Percussion Massagers
Sore, achy, or tight muscles are all part of the game for any avid outdoor athlete. And working on tissue mobility trends toward the bottom of the list for busy adults. Theragun percussion massagers can address both as a tool of self-care.
Percussion massagers exploded a few years ago, and Theragun was one of the first players. It has stood its ground on pricing, and testing the 4th Generation Theragun PRO showed me why.
Yes, the OLED display is nice — it connects to an app for guided treatments — but what sets the Theragun PRO apart from other massagers is the sheer power of the motor and the adjustable arm and multi-grip. The motor is the most powerful by far of any massager I’ve tried.
And all that power doesn’t mean anything if it’s not applied correctly. The adjustable arm and handle that works in all orientations allow treatment of areas unattainable by other percussion massagers.
Theragun now offers a Mini ($199) and a 5th Generation PRO ($599) model. Yes, you can get effective percussion massagers for less money, but the Theragun PRO has proven its value to me repeatedly.
MSR DynaLock Ascent Carbon Backcountry Poles
Trail and mountain athletes can all use a solid set of lightweight poles. Whether on the training hill or the glacier, poles improve safety, can prevent injury, and add enjoyment to almost anything involving going up and down.
The MSR DynaLock Ascent Carbon Backcountry Poles proved their mettle to me, training on limestone rocks at home in Texas and across vast snowy expanses in Alaska.
The MSR DynaLock Ascent Carbons ($170) are light, at a verified 8.1 ounces (with strap, without basket) per pole, and they proved rigid enough for hurried Alaskan descents with a 40-pound pack. The three connected sections allowed compact storage when my training routes left the hills.
MSR includes snow and dry-land baskets, and the DynaLock tension adjustment works well even with thicker gloves.
NEMO Helio Pressure Shower
Do you have fitness freaks on your list who are always on the go? Help them maintain a civilized level of hygiene with the NEMO Helio Pressure Shower ($130). This shower system packs small in an included stuff sack, so it can stay in the car at all times.
And it delivers 5 to 7 minutes and 11 L of pressurized water via a 7-foot hose and spray nozzle. A foot pump charges the system, which can be filled anywhere without a hose and can heat up in the sun. Perfect for rinsing off after a sweaty or muddy workout, surfing, or paddleboarding. It also works on four-legged training partners.